It's Over
by lycanus1
Summary: Cruelly betrayed by the one who professes to love him, Dagonet finally snaps ... ** Warning: AU. Contains strong language and slash. **


**Summary:** Cruelly betrayed by the one who professes to love him, Dagonet finally snaps ...  
 **Comments & Reviews:** positive comments welcomed  
 **Disclaimer:** Mr Bruckheimer & Touchstone Pictures absolutely refuse to play ball and part with them. They're still not mine, although not for the want of trying ...

 **Warning:** _AU. Contains strong language and slash._

 _ **XXXXXXXXX**_

 **It's Over ...**

The tall, powerful body flipped itself over upon the mattress until it lay on its side. A hand fumbled and skittered blindly across the surface, seeking what it needed. What it craved. When it failed to find what it sought, the hand froze abruptly causing the bed's sole occupant to suddenly wake.

Dagonet's silver eyes suddenly opened, instantly darting to the cold, empty space beside him. The room was still shrouded in darkness, although he could barely make out the shapes of the oak furniture, thanks to the moonlight casting its rays faintly through the slats of the shuttered windows. Shifting, he sat up, causing the thick, sleek furs to slide down golden skin which covered a toned, muscular torso that was riddled with faint, silvery cicatrices.

It was happening again. Despite everything they'd talked of. All that had been said. An anguished sigh shuddered through the rugged frame and Dagonet's pale, striking orbs closed in despair as he covered his scarred face with both hands. Misery and pain emanated from him. Overwhelmed with sorrow, he silently wept as the barely visible cracks on his heart finally and irrevocably shattered.

"How could you do this to me ?" he whispered, his husky voice rasped. " _How could you_ ? You promised me, you bastard … Fucking swore on your life that you'd never do this to me again … That you'd do anything not to hurt me …" Dagonet inhaled shakily and sadly shook his cropped head. "Well, no more you selfish, cheating, lying sod … You don't get to cuckold me again. As of now, it ends. For good ..."

Suddenly exhausted, he dashed an angry hand across his face to wipe away the tears and fell back upon the furs, only to stare blindly at the ceiling as sleep, like his errant lover, eluded him.

 _ **XXXXX**_

Just after dawn, the chamber door silently swung open. A slight figure stealthily crept into the room, moving with feline grace. It paused briefly and gazed speculatively at the large bed, eyes gleaming hungrily as it took in the sleek, beautifully formed body sprawled upon it, its nudity barely covered by the furs.

The predator smirked. The sight of so much bare skin was tantalizing. Tempting. Seductive. Mouth-watering. A slight rustle of material was followed by the sound of a hastily removed tunic landing softly at the foot of the bed.

The figure cautiously approached the bed, with the sole intent of pouncing upon its occupant, only to freeze as a loose floorboard creaked in protest, loudly announcing the intruder's presence. The reaction was instantaneous.

"So, you finally decided to show yourself," came the soft, hostile growl from the bed. The strapping Roxolani sat up against the pillows, silver eyes fixed firmly upon the lithe figure who eyed him with equal intent and wariness.

"Dag- "

" _Don't !_ Just don't … _I don't want to hear it_."

"But Dag- " The younger man finally closed the gap between them and sat on the bed. He reached out a hand to caress the Roxolani's scarred face, only for Dagonet to flinch and shy away from him.

"But nothing, Tristan," Dagonet hissed. "There's nothing you can say or do that'll persuade me otherwise. You promised me … _made a fucking vow_ that you'd be true to me, as I've always been to you. _You lied to me_. Time and time again, _you've fucking lied_. Not only to me, but to yourself. You swore to my face that you wouldn't stray again. That I was all you ever wanted. Needed. Loved. I was a fool to ever believe you. To place my trust in you. To give you my heart."

Tristan closed his eyes briefly. The anguish and heartbreak in both Dagonet's eyes and voice pierced him to the core. Every word the cropped-haired Healer had uttered was the truth. Sincere and undeniable. The older Sarmatian looked devastated. Distraught even. And that made him feel a pang of guilt. Made him feel wretched for causing such pain to one who loved him deeply and without reservation. Loved him unconditionally. A man who'd done nothing wrong. Except love _him_. Tristan. A lover incapable of being faithful to him.

The Aorsi opened his eyes and looked at the broken man next to him. Striking, intelligent golden orbs instantly collided with silver ones which held a wealth of suffering and anguish. And something else. Something that was far worse. The look Dagonet gave him was of one who'd been utterly betrayed. Betrayed by someone who was meant and professed to love him.

Shaking his dark head in disbelief of his own stupidity, Tristan felt a compulsion to comfort his lover. To reassure him that he _was_ loved. _Was_ cared for. He reached for and attempted to wrap his arms around the gentle giant once more and was roughly pushed away.

" _No !_ " the Roxolani spat. " _You don't get to touch me_. Not anymore. You lost that right when you left our bed for his. When you stole, no, when you steal away from me to be with _him_." He paused for a moment in a vain attempt to calm himself. Dagonet's lips curved into a disgusted sneer. "You _reek_ of him … and it sickens me. _You_ sicken me. The way you treat me ..." His voice faltered and he turned his head away in order to avoid looking at the handsome Scout before softly continuing, "I _can't_ do this anymore. _I won't_. I _won't_ let you use me again. It's wrong of you to treat me like this. Every time you leave me to be with him, I vow I'm never going to take you back - that you'll only end up hurting me - yet like the weak, desperate fool that I am, I still do it. Falling for you - loving you - was supposed to be the best thing to happen to me since we were drafted to this bloody gods' forsaken country … Seems I was mistaken, loving you is damn near killing me. And … and I want out- "

"Out ?" A stricken Tristan gasped. "What the fuck do you mean by "you want out" ? Dag, I love yo- "

" _Love ?_ " Dagonet snorted in disbelief. "You _don't_ love me … _If_ you loved me, you wouldn't treat me the way you do. You wouldn't break your oath to me. You'd be here by my side. I'd be enough for you. No one else would matter and you wouldn't feel the need to ... to fuck someone else. You'd want me. Me alone ..."

"You're wrong, Dag. I _do_ love you- "

"You _think_ you love me … Hell ! You probably do, in your own selfish way. But you don't love me enough. Not the way I love you … and that's no longer enough for me. I deserve better, you selfish git." Dagonet wrapped his strong arms around his torso, as if the vain gesture would hold him together. Would keep him from breaking down and falling apart.

"I know. You _do_ deserve better. That's why I need you to give me another chance. To prove how much I care … that I'm serious."

Dagonet turned to look at him. Doubt clouded his silver eyes; his posture both tense and wary. He sighed deeply and rubbed his nape anxiously. "Tris, why do you always do this ? Does it somehow amuse you to plead your cause so that I'll inevitably give in to your wishes ? That I always "give you another chance" and take you back ? Does my weakness for you make you hard or something ?"

"Please, Dagonet … I swear- "

" _No_. No more swearing, Scout. If you truly mean what you say, you'll do this one thing for me- "

"Anything, love," the Aorsi replied eagerly, edging closer to him.

Dagonet raised a sceptical eyebrow and murmured thoughtfully, "Anything, you say ?"

The handsome death-dealer nodded. "Aye, Wolf … anything ..."

The Roxolani shifted his impressive frame slightly and eyed his lover pensively, then spoke quietly. "You wish to prove to me how much you care for me ? Then renounce all ties with _him_. Give up that conniving, worthless Iazyges bastard. Do it for me. Prove to me that I mean more to you than he does. That this was your last night with him … and that you want my forgiveness."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Dagonet could feel Tristan's withdrawal. That he'd lost him, simply by asking him to do the one thing he could not. The Scout's face was drained of colour, causing the tattooed stripes on his high cheekbones to stand out prominently; his lean, athletic, toned body coiled with tension.

"I … Dagonet … I _can't_ do that. You ask too much of me. I can't give him up. _I_ _won't_ ," Tristan choked. He rubbed his neatly bearded chin in agitation.

Closing his eyes, Dagonet gave a disgusted snort and tried to swallow the bile that was rapidly rising in his throat. The pain he felt at his lover's refusal felt like a fist had grabbed his heart and was slowly, but surely, crushing it to pieces. Yet again his beloved Scout had failed him. Left him in agony and feeling so betrayed.

He shook his head in disbelief. "You … you're unbelievable, d'ya know that ? An incredibly selfish, arrogant, cruel, little shit. You plead for me to give you a chance to prove yourself … yet when I ask you to do this one thing - this one, _trivial,_ little thing - you deny me. Hurt me and betray me. At least I know where I stand with you. That I'm nothing to you ..."

Tristan worried his lower lip and gently, yet firmly, cupped Dagonet's chin, forcing him to meet his steady gaze. "I'd do anything for you, Dag. You know I would. Anything … but that. I can't lose you, you're far too important to me … Too precious ..." He carefully swept away the silent tears which now fell silently down the Healer's face with the ball of his callused thumb.

"Then _do it_ , Tristan. Do it for me … Because I can't live like this anymore. I'm sick and tired of it. I _cannot_ and _will not_ share you with him. You _must_ choose. Him. Or me … You _can't_ have us both. And it's wrong and unfair of you to expect me to allow it to continue. And ... and I refuse to be part of it anymore." Dagonet moistened his dry lips with the tip of his tongue and gave a tremulous sigh.

"I can't, Dag … I'm sorry- "

"Why the bloody fuck not ?" the Roxolani demanded in exasperation. "It's not as if I ever asked you for much … I've never asked anything of you until now, so why the bloody hell can't you do this one thing for me, hmmm ?"

Tristan's golden eyes turned on him wildly. They were strikingly beautiful, tempestuous and revealed his inner turmoil.

"Because … because I'm in love with him ... _I love Lancelot_ … I fucking love him ! Was that what you wanted to hear ?" he demanded furiously before adding softly, "I didn't plan on falling for him. Didn't want to love him, because I loved you so much … but I couldn't help it. I fucking fought against it 'cause I knew how badly it'd hurt you. That was the last thing I wanted to do, believe me. I never set out or meant to hurt you. I didn't- "

There, there it was ... that one crucial word that made all the difference. Such a simple word, yet one which held a wealth of meaning - "loved." Tristan had said "loved," _not_ "love." Or that he was "so _in_ love with Dagonet." Just "loved." And that had been enough to crush Dagonet's spirit and shatter his already bruised and fragile heart.

Dagonet instantly stood up and ignoring the Aorsi's heated gaze upon his bare flesh, roughly pulled on his snug-fitting leathers before sitting at the furthest part of the bed and tugging on a pair of dark, heavy, leather boots. He felt the Scout's warm, callused hand gently lie between his shoulder blades in a cautious attempt to offer some sort of comfort and violently shrugged it off, then clambered unsteadily to his feet. Dagonet stood silently, head bowed and his hands clenched into fists as he tried to quell the mounting anger within him. A tremor ran through his body.

"Please, Dag … I really never meant any of this to happen, but it did," Tristan said huskily. "Though I'm sure something can be sorted- "

Dagonet slowly spun around, eyes narrowed into silver, gimlet-like slits. "Aye, you're not wrong there, Scout … _something_ will be sorted." Any trace of warmth or affection had left his eyes and voice and were replaced by glacial contempt and bitter anger. He shrugged on a rust hued tunic then fastened his sword belt around his lean waist, ensuring that the lethal bastard sword rested against his left hip. "On that score you're right. You've _clearly_ made your choice. So, I will abide by it … as you will abide by mine. By the time I return, I expect you and all your fucking shit gone from here. For good. I don't give a damn where you go or what you do. I no longer want or need you in my life. As far as I'm concerned, you're nothing to me. Nothing. You do not look at me. You do not speak to me. And above all, I never want you thinking of me again. Understood ? Whatever it was we had ...it's over. We're fucking through ! "

Heartbroken and with one final scathing glance, Dagonet spun on his heel, stalked purposefully out of the room, slamming the door violently, leaving a bewildered and upset Scout in his wake …

 _ **Finis.**_


End file.
